Are Australians proud of their convict heritage?
Today, a convict ancestor is a matter of pride, a connection to the rough and tumble of early Australia. But for past generations, including some convicts themselves, it was a shame that had to be hidden at all costs.
How did the convicts impact Australia?
In the first 50 years of white settlement, society was changing rapidly. Free settlers were moving to Australia, and convicts were increasingly employed to work for them. As convicts either finished their sentence, or were pardoned, they were able to earn a living and sustain themselves through jobs and land grants.
When did convict transportation end in Australia?
On 9 January 1868 the convict transport Hougoumont arrived at the port of Fremantle. On board were 269 convicts, the last to be sent to Western Australia. The ship’s arrival marked the end of 80 years of continuous penal transportation to the Australian continent.
What was the convict stain?
Generations of Australians sought for years to remove or deny any links to their convict past. The fear of the so-called convict ‘stain’ began with the anti-transportationist movement in the mid 1850s which shamed convict society into silence.
How many Australians are of convict descent?
Today, it’s estimated that 20% of the Australian population are descended from people originally transported as convicts, while around 2 million Britons have transported convict ancestry.
Who was the most famous convict on the First Fleet?
John Hudson, described as ‘sometimes a chimney sweeper’, was the youngest known convict to sail with the First Fleet. Voyaging on board the Friendship to NSW, the boy thief was 13 years old on arrival at Sydney Cove.
What problems did convicts experience after they arrived in Australia?
For newly arrived convicts, the environment of Sydney was strange and very different to what they were used to. During summer, days of unbearable heat were often followed by ferocious thunderstorms and torrential rain.
What were the 19 crimes that sent prisoners to Australia?
The crimes that make up 19 Crimes include:
- Grand Larceny, theft above the value of one shilling.
- Petty Larceny, theft under one shilling.
- Buying or receiving stolen goods, jewels, and plate…
- Stealing lead, iron, or copper, or buying or receiving.
- Impersonating an Egyptian.
- Stealing from furnished lodgings.
What did female convicts do in Australia?
Convict women were employed in domestic service, washing and on government farms, and were expected to find their own food and lodging. Punishment for those who transgressed was humiliating and public. Exile itself was considered a catalyst for reform.
What was John Kellys crime?
John Kelly, who had been transported from Ireland to Australia for stealing two pigs, had to stand trial in Avenel Courthouse for cattle stealing, though he was later acquitted for the theft but charged with ‘unlawful possession of a hide‘, for which he served four months.
Who was the youngest girl convict on the First Fleet?
Elizabeth Hayward
was the youngest female convict, at 13, on the First Fleet. She received seven years transportation at the Old Bailey in January 1787, for being accused of stealing clothes from the clog maker she was working for.
How many babies were born on the First Fleet?
It is estimated there were about 50 children on the First Fleet when it arrived at Botany Bay. Over 20 children were born at sea during the eight-month voyage.
What was Sydney called in 1788?
From 1788 to 1900 Sydney was the capital of the British colony of New South Wales. An elected city council was established in 1840. In 1901, Sydney became a state capital, when New South Wales voted to join the Australian Federation.
How were female convicts treated on the First Fleet?
Women were seen as whores. According to officer in command of the expedition convict women threw themselves at the sailors and Royal Marines in “promiscuous intercourse” and “their desire to be with the men was so uncontrollable that neither shame nor punishment could deter them”.
Who was the most famous convict?
Top Five Famous Convicts transported to Australia
- Francis Greenway. Francis Greenway arrived in Sydney in 1814. …
- Mary Wade. The youngest ever convict to be transported to Australia at the age of 11. …
- John ‘Red’ Kelly. …
- Mary Bryant. …
- Frank the Poet.
How were convicts treated in Australia?
Early convicts were mainly given pardons, which could be given at any stage from first arrival in Australia to the end of their full sentence. Pardons could be absolute or conditional, with conditions usually restricting travel from the colony.
When was the first convict ship to Australia?
Its purpose was to find a convict settlement on the east coast of Australia, at Botany Bay. The First Fleet sailed from England on 13 May 1787 and arrived at Botany Bay eight months later, on 18 January 1788.
What happened on the 26th of January 1788?
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Jackson in New South Wales.
What was Australia called in 1788?
After the Dutch era
Cook first named the land New Wales, but revised it to New South Wales. With the establishment of a settlement at Sydney in 1788, the British solidified its claim to the eastern part of Australia, now officially called New South Wales.
How long did it take for convict ships to get to Australia?
However, not all convict transportation was so successful. The convict ship Mountstuart Elphinstone carried nearly 1,700 convicts to Sydney and Hobart, as well as emigrants to Australia, in a trading life of almost 50 years. She took between three and five months to make each voyage.
Did any convict ships sink?
Loss of life due to accident or natural disaster was also rare, although there were four serious shipwrecks concerning convict ships to Australia – Amphitrite on the coast of France, George III on the south-east coast of Tasmania, Neva off King Island in Bass Strait and Waterloo in Table Bay, South Africa.
What ship did convicts go on?
Convict transports
| Ship | Type | Duration (days) |
|---|---|---|
| Lady Penrhyn | Transport | 252 |
| Prince of Wales | Barque | 252 |
| Scarborough | Transport | 251 |
What did convicts do on ships?
Some convicts worked on the water as boatmen, cut grass to feed cattle, or drove bullock teams (large wagons pulled by cattle) around the town, delivering goods to different businesses, work sites, and warehouses.
What was life like on the Lady Penrhyn?
Lady Penrhyn had difficulty in her sailing abilities, often lagging behind the other ships. The woman convicts caused numerous problems on the voyage and were punished for thieving, fighting and abusive language. There was an exchange of three seamen between HMS Sirius and Lady Penrhyn.
What is the number of crew on the Lady Penrhyn?
Lady Penrhyn left Portsmouth on 13 May 1787, arrived at Port Jackson, Sydney, Australia, on 26 January 1788. She carried 101 female convicts, and three officers and 41 other ranks of the New South Wales Marine Corps, as well as her crew.
Who was aboard the Lady Penrhyn?
Journal entry of Arthur Bowes-Smyth, Surgeon on board the First Fleet ship the Lady Penrhyn:
| Name | Age | Crime |
|---|---|---|
| Mary Mitchell | 19 | Privately Stealing |
| Mary Bolton | 29 | Housebreaking |
| Mary Dickenson | 26 | Stealing |
| Elizabeth Colley | 22 | Housebreaking |
When did the Lady Penrhyn arrive in Australia?
The arrival
The Lady Penrhyn departed Sydney Cove for China on 5 May 1788. Chartered by the East India Company to collect tea in China on the return voyage, the ship first called at Lord Howe Island for supplies before finally reaching its destination in October 1789.
How do you pronounce Lady Penrhyn?
Break ‘Penrhyn’ down into sounds: [PEN] + [RIN] – say it out loud and exaggerate the sounds until you can consistently produce them.